The Awakening
by NoseyHeiffer
Summary: After he is purged of darkness, Mr. Gold collapses into a coma. What happens when Rumple finally awakes? Will he remember Belle? Will he still have magic? Will he be the mild-mannered Rumplestiltskin the spinner? Or Mr. Gold the shrewd businessman?
1. Chapter 1

Once Upon a Time does not belong to me. This story has not be beta read. I REALLY need a beta reader. Is anyone interested?

Please review!

Chapter 1

As the nurse walked down the hall of the hospital, her thick soled shoes made barely a sound. Stopping outside the room of her first patient, she inhaled deeply and tucked a few loose strands of her shoulder length, brown hair back behind her ears. She took the clipboard from the bin on the door and carefully noted her newest patient's information on the clipboard before gently opening the door. Her white nurse's shoes squeaked on the clean floor as she stepped softly into the room, and she noted the boy who sat hunched in a corner.

When Belle and Moe left to get some coffee around midnight - actually, Dr. Whale sent everyone home - the young man had refused point blank. In fact, he had hidden beneath the patient's bed until the others were gone. Of course, everyone knew he was there, but no one had had the heart to make him leave. Now, the boy sat up, blinking wearily. He'd been waiting there for more than six hours. The nurse smiled grimly at him and nodded slightly.

Her patient had been brought in late last night. He was unconscious upon arrival and had yet to wake up. The nurse opened the blinds slightly to let in a bit of early morning sunlight. Observing the monitor next to the bed, she took a pen from her pocket and began jotting down his vital information.

Pale, red rimmed eyelids flickered. Slowly, painfully they slid open revealing liquid brown eyes. Eyes full of pain - physical and emotional - blinked rapidly as he tried desperately to focus. Sluggishly, the patient began to stir.

The light hurt his eyes. Weakly, he lifted a hand to shade his watering eyes, but he couldn't hold it up for long. The hand flopped back against his side. A tall figure, swathed in white temporarily blocked the light. He squinted up at the form. It was definitely a woman with shoulder length brown hair. "Milah?" he called tremulously. The throat was dry and talking hurt, leaving his voice sandpaper raspy.

A cool hand reached for his wrist, holding lightly. The soothing touch was gone all too soon. But then there was another touch, a strange tube-like thing, pressed against his mouth.

"Take a sip of water," the woman urged.

Confusion clouded his eyes and a wrinkle etched itself between them. Shaking his head slowly (so slowly, for it throbbed when he moved), he mouthed the words he couldn't say. "Don't understand -"

"Suck on the straw," she told him gently. Again, she pressed the odd device to his lips.

Was she an angel? His long dead, unknown mother here to care for him at last? Maybe Milah even? Milah did love him once. At least he thought she had. He closed his eyes, and sucked at the straw. Short swallows of water eased his parched mouth and throat. Tears seeped from his eyes. "Milah," he sighed, grateful for the water.

The boy, Henry Mills, gasped as he bolted to the side of the bed, his brown eyes - so like his grandfather's - shone with tears. The nurse gave him an encouraging smile and patted the white knuckles of his hands that gripped tightly to the bedrail. Then, she pressed the call button to alert Dr. Whale.

Gingerly, Gold opened his eyes, and as they slowly focused on the boy leaning over his bed, his mouth fell open. "Bae!" he cried. Fumbling, he caught at the boy's hands and kissed them. "Oh, Bae, you're here." Tears fell freely from his deep brown eyes, and soon Henry's hands were wet.

"No, I'm not - "

"I know, I know, son," Gold rushed. "It was all my fault. I have no excuse, and I don't deserve your forgiveness. I can only beg you, please. Please, Baelfire, please, you have to understand how afraid I was." The older man began sobbing.

Henry stood there stunned. He didn't know what to say, what to do, what to think. The older man's confession had shocked him. He shook his head slightly.

"Baelfire, can you ever forgive me?" the man begged. "I only took on the curse so I could have the means to protect you, son. They were going to take you away, send you to the Ogre Wars." Using Henry's arms as leverage, Gold struggled into a lopsided sitting position. "You would have been killed there, Bae. I couldn't let that happen to you." He was becoming hysterical. "I couldn't bear to lose you, son. You're all I had. Please, please, I'll do anything, anything, Bae, please, son, please - "

At that moment, Dr. Whale dashed in. Gently he untangled Gold's hands from Henry's. "Sedative, Nurse," he muttered. "Shh, it's all right." As the nurse slowly injected a sedative into Gold's IV, Whale nodded meaningfully at Henry. "Bae here forgives you. Don't you, son?"

'Yeah," a bewildered Henry muttered. He cleared his throat. "Yes, I forgive you, Papa."

Gold wept tears of joy and release, all the while mumbling a steady stream of barely coherent thanks. And slowly as the tranquilizer took effect, he fell back into a gentle, healing sleep.

"He's awake!" Henry shouted as he ran down the hospital's corridor, his sneakers thundering down the cool tiles. "Grandpa Gold's awake!" He had posted himself in his grandfather's room late Friday evening, refusing to leave.

Belle jerked upright, spilling her cold coffee across the lap of her pale blue skirt. She frowned and passed the cup to Moe French. "He's awake?" She quickly grasped Henry by his arms. "Rumple's awake?"

Moe set the cup of coffee colored sludge on a table in the waiting area and stood tall beside his daughter. He was angry, angry and stunned that his dear, sweet Belle - so like her mother - could still love that damnable Gold. For just a while there, he was beginning to breathe more easily. Belle has seen Gold's true colors, and she had thrown his sorry ass out of town. She'd grieved for her broken marriage - as was the right thing to do - but then she'd run right back to his side. Moe knew he couldn't do a thing about it, but Belle deserved a hell of a lot better than that manipulative old man.

Henry nodded. "Yeah," he told them, breathing hard. "Just as he woke up, Dr. Whale came in and made me leave." He dropped his head for a moment before looking up. The young man squared his shoulders in an unconscious act much like this grandfather Nolan. "He called me Baelfire." His voice cracked on the last word.

Belle frowned. "I don't understand."

Swallowing hard, Henry explained, "He thought I was my dad." He shook his head from side to side, trying to tear loose the memory. "I was so angry with him. He didn't care what happened to us as long as he got what he wanted. He and that darn author!" The boy dashed angry tears from his eyes. "How can I be angry with him when he doesn't even know who I am or what he did?"

Moe inhaled deeply and held the breath for a moment before letting it go in a long sigh. "Henry, he didn't try to use his magic on you, did he?" His blue eyes were stern and commanding. "If he's so confused, he might lash out with his magic."

"No," Belle cried. "Rumple would never hurt us."

Young Henry snorted. "He would, too, if it meant he could have his way."

"Oh, Henry, you can't mean that!" Belle chided gently, but knowing tears sprang to her eyes.

"Yeah? I remember Sir Rumplestiltskin threatening me with a sword when I tried to stop Zelena from marrying Robin," Henry replied angrily.

"But he didn't know you were his grandson," Belle insisted. "The author told him you were a threat to the kingdom." Tears were pooling in her deep blue eyes. "He isn't the Dark One now."

"He wasn't the Dark One then, either!" Henry took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Belle. I - I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Papa," she whispered, as she groped blindly for his hand. "Take me to see him."

"Rumple?" Belle tenderly smoothed his forehead and pressed a kiss there. "Please, please wake up," she whispered.

"So, Whale," Moe French spoke with a commanding tone, "what's going on with him?" He jerked his chin slightly towards his son-in-law.

Whale frowned, crossing his arms. "I'm not really sure, and I won't be until he is fully awake - "

"But Henry said he was awake," Belle interrupted. She eased herself onto the side of his bed and reached for her husband's hand.

Dr. Whale nodded at the boy before explaining. "He was awake," he agreed, "but he was confused. I don't know if -"

"He thought I was Baelfire and the nurse was Milah, whoever that is," muttered Henry as he walked to stand on the opposite side of the bed.

Whale snorted. "Yes, but I don't know if he's delusional, or amnesic, or maybe his whole life has been reset back to the point where he became the Dark One. Either way, if he still has his magic but with no way to control it, he may be dangerous."

Belle's tears moved the doctor, and he softened his tone. "He should be waking soon. We'll just have to take things hour by hour."

Belle brushed the tears away. "All right, what can we do to help?"

Rubbing his chin, the doctor thought. "Look, we need to find out about his life before he became the Dark One. You could go home and do some research, find something about his life prior to becoming the Dark One or someone who knew him then. Learn all you can." Next he turned to Moe. "Mr. French, could you get Dr. Hopper over here? You could get it done in half the time it would take my request to go through the hospital red tape."

Moe took one look at his sad little girl; he'd do anything for her. "Consider it done, even if I have to kidnap him." He grinned at Belle. "Come on, Belle. I'll drive you home so you can start your research."

"Not home," she answered firmly. "I know who we need. Captain Jones has known Rumple the longest. We need to find him."

"He's with mom, and Robin, and Grandpa and Grandma at Granny's Diner," Henry informed them. "I spoke with Mom last night to let her know I was staying here at the hospital."

"Then, I'll take you to Granny's before I pick up Dr. Hopper," Moe told her.

Reluctantly, Belle released Rumple's hand. She stood and leaned over to kiss him on the forehead again. "I'm ready," she whispered. Quietly, they left the room.

"What about me, Dr. Whale?" Henry asked. His shoulders were squared back and his legs braced as if ready to do battle.

Dr. Whale patted Henry on the shoulder. "If he wakes up and thinks you're Baelfire, let him."

Henry frowned. "You want me to lie?"

"Not lie exactly," Whale tried to explain. "Henry, we don't want to agitate him. If he becomes panicked like before, I'll have to sedate him again. You can tell him you're Baelfire's son, just don't let him know that Neal is dead, okay? We'll let Dr. Hopper handle that."

Henry nodded, understanding. "Okay, I explain that I'm his grandson and just talk to him calmly. I won't go into any details."

"Good man." Whale hesitated before adding, "And, Henry, we may need a strong magic user to help either control him or teach him control if he still has his magic. Could you call your mother? Get Regina down here?"

"I'll call her, and she'll come," Henry replied.

"All right, " Whale said, "But for the moment, I insist you go down to the cafeteria and get some breakfast. You can call your mother from there."


	2. Chapter 2

Once Upon a Time does not belong to me. I really need some reviews and constructive criticism. Oh, and a beta-reader. Volunteers?

Chapter 2 -

Robin sat beside David Nolan and Killian Jones, drawing something on the back of a napkin as the Granny looked on. "We can control her with the dagger," Robin pointed out yet again.

"That's my daughter!" David growled. "She doesn't need 'controlling'. She isn't evil. We -" his words halted for a brief second, his eyes darting quickly towards his wife "- we took steps to protect her."

"But she _is_ the Dark One now," Regina stated softly. "She cannot control the darkness inside her. She is now capable of untold atrocities."

"Not if we have the dagger," Robin pointed out again. "Killian can control her with it."

"I don't want to control her!" argued the captain. "I just want her to be safe and - " he faltered "- and just be Emma again."

At that moment, Regina's phone rang, and she excused herself from the 'discussion.' It was becoming circular and unlikely to solve anything at this point.

Regina smiled ruefully to herself as she hung up the phone. Henry had called her to give her an update on Gold's condition. She knew that the boy has stayed at the hospital with Gold, Belle, and Moe last night. Although she still didn't trust Gold, he was Henry's grandfather whether she liked it or not. With a determined step, her heels clicking on the floor, Regina walked towards Mary Margaret.

"Regina, who was on the phone?" Mary Margaret asked softly as she tenderly tucked her son into his carrier. Mary Margaret, who had just finished feeding Neal and changing his diaper, handed him back into the care of Ruby. She, like the rest of them, was bleary eyed from lack of sleep. "What's wrong now?"

"I'm not sure if anything is wrong, yet." Heaving a sigh, she continued. "That was Henry. Gold's awake, and he's confused. He thinks Henry is Neal."

Mary Margaret dropped into a nearby booth. "You mean he doesn't know Henry at all?" Her brow wrinkled with a frown.

Regina shook her head and sat opposite her once upon a time enemy. "Apparently Gold became hysterical, begging 'Bae' to forgive him. Whale had to sedate him." She glanced at the men still sitting at the table in the far corner, and she lowered her voice. "Whale asked Henry to call me. He's afraid that if Gold is overwrought and still has his magic, then he may not be able to control it. He's asked Henry to have me come over to possibly 'contain' him."

Mary Margaret shook her head. "No, if he isn't the Dark One, then he doesn't have magic."

"How can you still be so naïve?" Regina complained. "You don't have to be the Dark One in order to have magic. I have magic, and so did my mother."

"Well, you were rather dark there for a while," retorted Mary Margaret, "and your mother was one nasty - "

"I'd tell you to leave my mother out of this," Regina said with a glar, "but I'm afraid I'll have to agree with you." She shifted in her seat, still ill at ease thinking about her mother. "Some people are born with the predisposition to perform magic. If they find a teacher, they can learn to harness that power. Their attitude and reason for using the power is what determines whether they have Light or Dark magic. Like your daughter."

Sighing deeply, she muttered, "Sorry."

The bell above the door rang wildly as the door was jerked open. "Killian? Captain Jones?" Belle practically ran across into the diner and towards them. "I need your help. Please help me with Rumple." She tugged on his sleeve, begging him to come with her.

The handsome pirate looked haggard and wary. "Belle, I'm not exactly on friendly terms with your pet crocodile, and I'm far too busy trying to find a way to help Emma."

In sheer desperation, she pulled him up out of his seat. "Please, Captain Jones, I know you two aren't exactly friends, but I'm begging you to help. Dr. Whale said we needed someone who knew Rumple before he became the Dark One, someone who can fill us in on his background. He's confused and lost."

"Frankly, my dear, I don't -"

But Regina, who had jumped from her seat when Belle clattered wildly into the shop, cut him off. "Does this have something to do with Gold believing that Henry is Baelfire?"

Belle turned to Regina with a thankful expression. "Yes, Rumple also thought that the nurse was someone called Milah. We aren't sure who she is." Again, she faced Hook with anxious, pleading eyes. "I'm hoping you can help."

Jones closed his sleep-deprived eyes. His whole body trembled for a moment. "Aye, I know Milah." He opened his eyes and heaved a bone-weary sigh. "Knew her. She's dead. Why do you need me? Why do you need to know about the crocodile's past? What's in it for me?"

"Dr. Whale doesn't know how much of his memory Rumple has lost," she told him bluntly, "or how confused he is. As for your price -" She stared around at the people gathered in this room, and her eyes lit on the Kris dagger lying on the table. "The dagger," she informed them, "if anyone knows how to use the dagger _correctly_ -" she emphasized the word " - it would be Rumple. Help me get Rumple's memories back, and he can tell you how to use the dagger without endangering Emma."

Killian Jones never hesitated. "Done. Let's go." He started briskly for the door.

"Wait," Belle called. "We need Regina, too." She turned woeful eyes towards the former Queen.

"I was going anyway," she answered, "for Henry's sake." Turning to Mary Margaret, she added, "You and David should get some rest. We won't be able to solve anything with Emma until we can get Gold to remember."

"But, Emma is our daughter, and -"

David interrupted her. "And we can begin searching for Merlin."

"I can help with that," Robin put in. "My men know Sherwood Forest like the backs of their hands. Surely one of them knows where Camelot is."

"Mr. Gold," the nurse said softly. "You need to eat to build up your strength." She set a tray of food on a side table and wheeled it over him. Then she began to raise the bed.

"Milah?" he asked softly. "I - " He sat up, alarmed. "What? The bed? It's moving!" Then he noticed the needle and IV in his arm. Holding his arm aloft, he asked, "What's this? What did I do? Milah, please, remove this. I, I'm frightened."

His nurse placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Mr. Gold. There's nothing to be afraid of. You're being well taken care of." She smiled gently. "This is a modern hospital. The bed moves so the patient can rest, and this - " she indicated the IV drip - "is an easier way to give you medication."

Looking perplexed and still uncertain, he wet his lips but nodded. "I've been ill?" He frowned and squinted up at her. "You're not Milah."

"No, I'm not Milah. I'm your nurse, and I'm here to take care of you." Again she smiled reassuringly. "Eat up, now, before it gets cold."

The older man swallowed hard. "What have I done to be waited upon by so lovely a woman?" he asked softly. But he wasted no time in removing the covering from the food tray. He remembered far too many days of hunger to allow any food to be wasted.

She laughed aloud at that. "We may not be in the Enchanted Forest any more, but you certainly have an enchanted tongue. And, before you ask, - " she held out her hand palm towards him, forestalling any questions - " - I have no idea how we got here."

At that moment, Henry pushed open the door and stuck his head in the room. "Is he awake yet?"

The nurse grinned at the boy as he entered. "That, he is," she answered. "I'll just go, and leave you two to get reacquainted."

"Bae," Rumplestiltskin called out happily. Joyful tears slid down his cheeks to see the brown eyed boy standing at his bedside. "I knew you'd be here."

"Uh, yeah," Henry stammered, "about that - "

"Here," Rumple told him, "have some of this food. It's really good, much better than my poor cooking. A growing boy needs nourishment."

"I've already eaten," Henry replied. "You finish it."

"Are you sure?" Rumple eyed him skeptically. "The son is always supposed to eat first and eat all he can. That was our rule, remember? Baelfire?"

"I've already eaten. I promise."

Rumple frowned, but nodded. "All right, son." He finished the breakfast quickly. He smiled at the boy for a moment and then frowned. "Bae, what's wrong, son?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, see," Henry groped for words, "my name is Henry."

Rumplestiltskin's frown deepened. "Your mother named you Baelfire, a good name, a strong name. Why have you changed it now to call yourself after a king?"

Henry opened and closed his mouth. He heaved a heavy sigh. "Okay, look, a lot of time has passed since you last saw Baelfire. I'm Henry. Baelfire left the Enchanted Forest and came here, to a land with no magic - "

"Aye, I know this," the older man said sorrowfully. There was silence, and when the quiet had settled, he asked, "Who are you, then, who looks so much like my boy, Bae, but calls himself after a king?"

Henry smiled, then. He knew, without a doubt, that the old man was going to be just fine. That last, yep, that slightly pissed-off tone - that was his Grandpa Gold. "I told you," he quipped. "I'm Henry - your grandson."

Rumplestiltskin's mouth dropped open as astonishment bloomed. "My, my," he stuttered, "did you say you were my grandson? Bae's boy?"

Henry nodded, and Rumplestiltskin crowed with sheer delight. "Come here, and let me look at you." Taking the boy's chin, Rumple tilted it first left, then right, squinting at Henry. "Sweet Stars, but you look like your father. And, tell me, who is your mother? Is she Morraine?"

"No, my mom isn't from the Enchanted Forest." He hesitated, thinking, trying to pick his words carefully. "Well, not exactly. Her parents are from there, and she was born there, but, well, it's kinda confusing and hard to explain."

Rumple's smile wavered but only for a moment. "I see," he said slowly. "Perhaps, then, Henry, you could explain this world to me. A land without magic, you said?"

The boy brightened. "Okay, we live in the town of Storybrooke in the state of Maine," he began.

"Mr. Gold?" The door swung open again, and the nurse reentered, looking at Henry. "How is he doing so far?"

"Grandpa Gold is a little better," Henry answered, "but he's still a little confused about some things."

"I can speak for myself," he chided the lad. "Why do you keep calling me Gold?"

"That's your name here in this land," Henry supplied. "You're Mr. Gold, and you have a pawn shop -

"A what?"

Henry fumbled for a synonym. "A sort of business, where you sell things. I guess you'd call yourself a merchant and a ma - "

"And master of most of the town," the nurse added quickly. "You're a very rich, very important man." Moving towards the bed, she added with a satisfied smile, "And you ate your breakfast. I'll just take that away." As she removed the tray, he stopped her.

"Please, milady, I don't feel comfortable being waited upon. It isn't right, even if I am supposed to be so rich and important."

"It's quite alright. It's my job, and I don't mind looking after you," she told him with a blush. "I'd better let the doctor know you're awake and feeling better," she called behind her as she left.

The door had barely closed behind her when Belle, Hook, and Regina came marching down the hall. The nurse halted them. "I know that look. You're on a mission. Well, it's my mission to help him - " she jerked her head towards the closed door " - get well."

Belle looked hurt. "That's my goal, too. I only want what's best for him."

"Look, he's still confused. He knows Henry is his grandson, and he knows we're in a land without magic. He knows that his name here is Mr. Gold and that he's a merchant. And he isn't calling me Milah anymore."

"Then, he is getting better," Belle pointed out happily.

"Has he shown any signs of using magic?" Regina asked. "Anything?"

"Not that I've seen, but I think you ought to speak to Dr. Whale first before you go in," she insisted.

"I'm not waiting to see my husband," Belle asserted boldly. "Killian and I are going in now, and I don't care what you or anyone else - "

Regina spoke up. "I'll go see Whale. You two go on in, take your time speaking with him, and be careful. If anything, and I mean anything, seems off, you get Henry out of there and call me."


	3. Chapter 3

Once Upon a Time does not belong to me. This has not been beta-read, and I really need a reviewer. Any critiques or comments are welcomed!

CHAPTER 3

"Are you Mr. Gold?" Belle called out as she entered the room. She smiled as brightly as she dared. Hook stood behind her warily.

"Belle!" Henry exclaimed, glad for the reinforcements.

"So I've been told," he quipped. "I'm assuming from the lad's response, that your name is Belle." His eyes twinkled as he examined her face. "Quite an appropriate appellation, too."

"Thank you." She blushed. "Yes, my name is Belle -" she paused "- Belle French. My, my father is Moe French, the florist."

Rumplestiltskin nodded in understanding. "I'm pleased to meet you, Miss Belle, but I'm not familiar with this realm, this - " he glanced at Henry with a smile " - this Maine. What was your name in the Enchanted Forest? A man would be a fool to forget so lovely a face as yours."

Belle's smile faltered for a moment. "My father was Sir Maurice of the Marshlands."

"I didn't know the old crocodile had it in him to charm a woman," Jones muttered.

It only took one, tiny glance at the pirate for the delightful older man to transform. His smiling countenance and flirtatious tone instantly dissolved. At first, only confusion clouded his face. "I'm sorry, but I don't know - "

But no sooner had those words been uttered than his eyes flooded with hurt and fear. "Yes, you, you're the pirate who took Milah away!" he declared. "How could you? You kidnapped my wife, stole a mother from her child?" Terror filled his eyes, and he tightly clamped his mouth shut. His body quaked with fright. When he spoke again, it was ragged croaking. "Have you come for your revenge? You know I can't fight you. I'm just a poor spinner, a cripple. I can't even walk without my walking stick." His voice was quivering with dread. "You've taken my wife away. If you kill me, you'll leave my poor boy, my little Baelfire, without anyone. Surely, sir, you wouldn't condemn a child, a wee lad, a - " He stopped and blinked, becoming as rigid as a statue.

Still his body pulled tighter and tighter until he was as taut as a bowstring. Rumplestiltskin continued to stare straight ahead, and the tension mounted until at last it broke. Suddenly, the man was sucking in huge gulps of air. His hands clenched into fists of rage, and his chest thrust up and outward. Madness sported around the edges of his glittering brown eyes. "Yes," he hissed in a nasally tone. "I remember _you_ now." He hummed slightly and giggled insanely. "You killed Milah."

Killian's eyes burned with anger. " _You_ killed Milah," he returned furiously. " _You_ ripped her heart from her chest and crushed it!"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Rumplestiltskin yelled, spit flying from his mouth. "I did. I did because you made me. I had to kill her! She chose you over me and her own child! How could any mother leave her own child? Just leave without a thought or care for her babe? She was no fit mother. She deserved to die!"

Belle's mouth dropped open, and her face blanched. She knew there was bad blood between the two, but she never dreamed it could be this bad. Not what she was hearing the whole story, she was dumbfounded and horrified. Her eyes filled with tears.

Henry slipped over next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. "Shh, Belle," he whispered to her, "It's okay. I don't think he'd ever hurt you. You won't end up like his first wife. Even in the author's alternate reality, he loved only you."

Belle pulled quickly away. Dashing towards the door, she swiftly left the room, trying to regain her composure.

Her obvious pain touched Henry. "Stop it!" Henry shouted. "Both of you, just stop! You're upsetting Belle and solving nothing." Stepping forward like the young hero he was, Henry slapped the flat of this hands against the table top.

Instantly silenced, both men glared at one another. Rumplestiltskin blinked rapidly and shook his head like a wet dog, trying desperately to clear his thoughts. Killian Jones inhaled deeply several times, seeking his center; he was the first to surrender the standoff.

"I apologize for allowing my anger to get the best of me," he said firmly. "Henry, thank you for reminding me to behave in a manner more befitting an officer and a gentleman." He nodded a brisk bow to the young man.

Not to be outdone in anything by anyone, the Dark One spoke up, too. His voice, while strangely high-pitched, was steady and polite. "It was never my intention to distress either the lady or you Henry." Now, his voice softened and nearly broke, as he seemed to be speaking as much to himself as to his grandson. "Your father hated my power. He wanted me to give it up, but I couldn't and now -" The words stopped cold in his mouth, and a frown etched itself into his forehead.

Killian walked carefully over to the bed. Slowly, he raised the Kris dagger and set it down on the bed table. "Have a look, Gold," he told the older man.

Rumplestiltskin narrowed his eyes, watching the pirate's every move. But his eyes widened in shock and fear when he recognized the dagger. "So, you think you can control me?" He tried to bluster. "That will never happen!"

Henry moved from the other side of the bed to see. "Mom!" he cried out, grabbing the dagger. "It says mom's name."

"What? Let me see!" Rumplestiltskin snatched the dagger from the boy, and his mouth dropped wide as he read the name inscribed. "Emma Swan? Who is Emma Swan?" Then the penny dropped. "And who am I?"

"Emma Swan is my mother," Henry cried out. "And, I told you, you're Mr. Gold, my grandfather."

"But I am the Dark One," he shook his head in confusion.

"You _were_ the Dark One," Jones replied. "The darkness nearly killed you, old man. So, the darkness was removed, but it needed to attach itself to another human soul." He swallowed hard, forcing down the lump in his throat. "Emma, the boy's mother - " he pointed his hook at Henry " - sacrificed herself, taking the darkness into her own soul to save the entire town. She's now the Dark One."

Henry clenched his teeth, manfully staring straight ahead, but he couldn't stop the tears that rolled down his face. "Where is she?"

Jones shook his head sadly. "We don't know, lad," he signed helplessly. "We're hoping that he -" he jerked his chin at Gold " - can help us find her."

Rumplestiltskin wanted to refuse. That bloody pirate, that home-wrecker, that bully deserved nothing, but then Henry, his grandson, turned tear filled eyes on him. He could not deny Bae's boy. He nodded. "I don't know if I have any answers," he whispered, "but, for you, Henry, I'll try my best."

The boy looked down, blinked the tears from his eyes, and brushed them away with the back of his hand. When he looked up again, there was a steely determination in them. "I know you will, Grandpa Gold."

In that moment, with such strong resolve in those identical brown eyes, they looked so much alike, it nearly took Killian's breath away. "Anything you can think of will be useful," Killian added. He held out his right hand in surrender to stop the barrage of angry words he could see building in the other man's eyes. "You may not remember, but we have come to an understanding," he told Gold. "In the Enchanted Forest you were first known as Rumplestiltskin, the spinner. I wronged you greatly. Both Milah and I wronged you and Baelfire. I can't change what happened, but I am sorry. I was younger, arrogant, selfish, but - " he glanced at Henry " - I thought I was in love."

"If you can honestly apologize, I suppose I can accept it," Rumplestiltskin put in grudgingly. "Milah was more to blame. She knew she had a husband and son, but chose to run off after her own selfish desires."

"Aye, well, when you became the Dark One, you took your revenge." With a rueful grin, he held up his hook and shook it slightly. "I reckon we're even."

Rumplestiltskin snorted and nodded. "Henry-" he turned to the young man " - you say this Emma Swan is Baelfire's wife?"

"No," Henry answered slowly. "I don't think they were ever married." When he saw the anger threatening to cloud his grandfather's face, he added, "I don't think they had time to get married before they were separated. I don't know all the details. It's a long story." He shrugged. "You'll have to ask mom about it. They never really told me anything."

Gold glanced back and forth between Jones and Henry. There was more, much more, to this story than he was being told. He felt like he was being used, and he didn't like that feeling one little bit.

Belle quietly reentered the room. Though there were no tears in her eyes, they were red rimmed, and it was evident that she had been crying. It only made her blue eyes all the more vivid and mesmerizing. She smiled placidly and and moved to stand again beside his bed. "Rumple -" she saw the confusion in his face as both his eyebrows rose at that name "- yes, I called you Rumple. That's the name I know you by." She paused. "I don't want to overwhelm you with too much information right now, but you need to know that I care about you a very great deal."

"I am honored," he replied. "I've never knew a lady who concerned herself with peasants." He inclined his head respectfully, but there was a note of sarcasm in his voice.

She took his hand gently. "I need you to trust me, Rumple. Captain Jones needs any information you can give him about the Kris dagger."

Although he was no longer the Dark One, more than three centuries of bargaining had left its mark on the man. Rumplestiltskin or Mr. Gold, whatever name he was given, was a shrewd man and a fair judge of character. He trusted this woman. He wasn't sure why, but he did. "The dagger works on a very simple principle," he began. "With it you can command the - "

The door opened, and Regina entered cautiously. Extreme prudence was necessary any time Hook and Gold were in the same room together. "Belle?" she called out. "How is everything?"

"Cora!" Rumplestiltskin hissed.


	4. Chapter 4

Once Upon a Time does not belong to me. This has not been beta-read, and I really need a reviewer. Any critiques or comments are welcomed!

CHAPTER 4

Guardedly, Regina moved further into the room with icy calm and haughty grandeur. She knew by his very first word that the situation was precarious.

"What do you want from me now, Cora?" he ground out. His eyes burned unnaturally brightly. "Come to break my heart again? Or are you here begging me to take you back?"

Regina stopped at the foot of the bed. "I am not my mother," she said flatly through gritted teeth.

"Your mother?" he gasped. Peering up at her through squinted eyes, Rumplestiltskin frowned, a look of undisguised anger on his face. "Well, you're certainly not mine."

Belle was thoroughly shocked. Her face blanched white. "Was there," she began, then stopped to clear her throat, "was there a chance she could be?"

Gold gave her a long, cool look of near contempt. "I hardly think that's any of your business, dearie." He giggled in that insanity-laced, high-pitched nasally tone. "Who are you to question me anyway?"

Belle flushed a deep crimson. A thick, uncomfortable silence spread across the room. No one dared move as eyes were averted from Belle's obvious embarrassment.

Regina broke the silence. Arching a finely shaped brow, she tilted her head, trying to present a calm façade, but anyone who knew her could have seen the fine trembling in her hands and the slight rise of blood in her cheeks. "I knew you were my mother's teacher," she stated coolly, "but I was unaware that you and she were - _involved_."

Rumplestiltskin grinned enormously at Regina's attempt to appear unconcerned. "Oh, well, not really," he admitted, taking pity on the former Evil Queen, "not like _that_. Though, at one time, I had hoped that she and I would - " He shrugged.

Regina's shoulders settled faintly. She was more than a little relieved at this news. Then suddenly like a flaming arrow another, terrible thought struck her. "You aren't Zelena's father, are you?"

This one question caused gasps all around. Henry reached out to grip his mother by the arm, holding her upright against a possible positive answer. In a near faint, Belle staggered backward into Hook, who caught her easily.

A massive frown etched itself across his face. "Hell, no!" he thundered. "I told you. I never f- " - He took notice of young Henry and caught himself just in time. "I never took liberties with Cora. I treated her with honor and all the respect a man should offer to the woman he wishes to marry." He held Regina's eyes, nodding at Henry.

"Aye," Killian spoke up. He set Belle on her feet and moved them closer to the bed. "I've known you a long time. I've known you when you were the talented but humble spinner. I've known you when you were the Dark One, the crocodile, my enemy. And I've known you as Mr. Gold, the pawnbroker." He looked around at all the expectant faces. "You're clever and twisty with words, and you can strike a deal better than anyone. But you are neither a liar nor a -" He, too, glanced at young Henry. " - a man who mistreats women."

Rumplestiltskin acknowledged him with a curt nod.

There was a quick knocking sound at the door, and Dr. Archie Hopper stuck his head in the door. "Good morning," he called cheerily. "May I come in?" He walked gingerly into the overly crowded room.

Regina lay her arm across Henry's shoulders. "Let's go, Henry."

"Wait, Henry, boy," Rumplestiltskin called out. "I want you to stay. You're Bae's boy." His voice was choked with emotion.

Henry smiled softly, and he grasped his grandfather's hand. "It's okay, Grandpa Gold. I won't leave you. I'll just wait outside for a while."

"But, why? Why do you have to leave with Cora's girl?" The old man was getting agitated, gripping Henry's hand almost painfully.

"I'll, uh, just wait outside too," Killian added as he slipped outside the door.

"Good!" shouted Rumplestiltskin loudly at the pirate's back. The tears came, and he began to quake in fear. "You wouldn't leave me, would you, boy? Please? I lost my Bae." The tears were sliding down his cheeks, and his voice dropped to a sandpapery rasp. "I can't lose Bae's boy, too."

"No, Grandpa Gold," Henry reassured him. "I'll be back. I promise. Right now, Dr. Hopper needs to see you in private. I'll be right outside." He smiled encouragingly.

Reluctantly, the old man released the boy's hand and watched his grandson leave. His tears were wiped gently away by Belle. "Milady," he said softly, as he removed her hands, "you have no right to touch me so tenderly."

Belle's trembling hands clutched the wet tissue. "Rumple," she whispered in anguished tones, "don't you remember me? I'm Belle, your wife."

His mouth dropped open, and he blinked owlishly at her. "What?" The nasally tone of the Dark Imp was back. "No, no," he muttered shaking his head in denial, "no, no, no!"

Belle's clear blue eyes filled with tears. She covered her mouth with her hands, unable to speak.

Dr. Hopper slipped a gentle but firm hand beneath Belle's elbow. His other hand rested in the center of her back. Delicately, he turned her away from the bed and walked her out of the room. "Belle," he spoke clearly but softly, "you can't take this personally. He's confused. Let me speak with him. You go rest."

"Dr. Hopper," Belle began, "I feel so lost." Her blue eyes were swimming in tears. "Rumple and I have so much we need to discuss, so many issues to work out." She clutched him by the arms. "I banished him, Archie!" she whispered through an emotion choked throat. "How do we recover from that?"

Archie carefully removed his arms from her. He told her bluntly, "I don't know whether or not your marriage can be saved. And, honestly, that's not why I'm here. Right now, Mr. Gold needs my help to find himself again. Once he has recovered himself, then, if he wishes, I'll help the two of you work on your marriage."

Belle's mouth fell open, forming a perfect O.

"I'm sorry, Belle," Archie insisted placidly, "but I have to put the needs of my patient ahead of yours at the moment."

Unrestrained tears rolled down Belle's flawless cheeks, and she bit her lip until it bled. "I do understand, Archie," she murmured. "I only want what's best for him."

"I know you do, Belle," Archie responded quietly. Then, he re-entered the room and closed the door with a click.

"So, so, you're saying that, that," he stuttered, "that _girl_ is my _wife_?"

Archie took a deep breath. He couldn't lie, but he didn't want to hurt the older man either. With a vague smile, Archie began a prevarication. "Well -"

"Aha!" Rumplestiltskin crowed. "Aha! You hesitated! I knew it! I knew it! Someone like that? _My_ wife?" He snorted angrily. "She's of noble birth and far too beautiful to be matched with the likes of me!"

"Mr. Gold," Archie said, his tone composed and reasonable, "why would you say something like that? I can assure you that Belle loves you very much."

"But you hesitated!" he accused. "That means there's something you're not saying!" The older man's face was turning an alarming shade of red. "Does she only _love_ me because I'm supposed to the rich and powerful? Hmm? Or was she after my magic?"

"No, no, nothing like that," Archie replied quickly. He pushed his glasses back up his nose. "I won't lie to you. You and Belle are having some trouble in your marriage," he conceded. "I'll tell you what I know. You'll have to get the rest of the story from Belle. I can't speak for her."

Rumplestiltskin crossed his hands over his chest as if to block the coming emotional blast. "I want the truth," he said. "And don't sugar coat it."

"I don't know what precipitated it, but rumor has it that you tried to harness the collective powers of all magical people in town. That you were pooling them together into the vortex of Merlin's magical hat - "

"But why?" Rumplestiltskin asked. "What could I possible achieve from that?"

Archie could practically see the wheels spinning behind Gold's eyes. He shifted on his seat beside the bed. "Mr. Gold, I haven't a single ounce of magic in me. I have absolutely no idea what you could have been up to. Again, you'll have to speak with Belle about this." He closed his lips tightly.

Knowing that he wouldn't get any more information from the doctor on this topic, Rumplestiltskin let it go. "Please, forgive my curiosity, Dr. Hopper, and do continue."

"Whatever it was, Belle was hurt and angry," Archie told him. "She was under the impression that you cared for your magic more that you loved her, so - " He took a deep breath, knowing this next part would be difficult. "- so, she used the Kris dagger to banish you from the town."

Rumplestiltskin's jaw dropped open. "You mean," he sputtered, "you mean to tell me that _that_ delicate little flower had the ba-" He stopped short and began to laugh. "That dainty little woman had the temerity to exile the Dark One?" He laughed harder until fat tears of mirth rolled down his face.

Archie laughed too. "I'm glad to see you're taking this well," he remarked.

"Oh, I have nothing but admiration for the young woman," he admitted, wiping his eyes. "That still doesn't excuse the fact that she dumped me, now, does it, doctor?" His tone sobered into a dry coolness that did not bode well for his marriage. "I would imagine that's the equivalent of a divorce, wouldn't you, dearie? Abandoning me without even my walking cane? Without my wallet? With no way to return home?"

Rumplestiltskin waved a hand at Archie. "There's no need for you to comment, Dr. Hopper. I'm beginning to remember some events from my long life." He looked down at his arms, which he had again, refolded across his chest. "And do you know what I seem to remember the most?" He snorted. "One abandonment after another."

Archie's forehead crinkled in a frown. "Abandonment is a strong term, Mr. Gold," he commented neutrally.

"It's an accurate term as well," he retorted.

"I'm here to listen," Archie offered, "if you'd like."

Rumplestiltskin was silent for a long time. Then, without warning he lowered his crossed arms and heaved a sigh that must have originated in his toes. "Why not?" he muttered. 'Let's start with my mum, shall we?" he asked with false cheerfulness. "I remember her leaving. I was not quite five - I think. It was dark out. Papa wasn't there yet. She left our home - not that it was anything more than a hovel." He snorted. "Just walked out and never came back."

Archie waited patiently. "You never saw her again?" When Rumplestiltskin shook his head, Archie asked another question. "What about your father?"

Another horribly fake grin smeared across Rumplestiltskin's face. "Papa?" He chuckled darkly. "Papa came home three days later - at least I think it was three days later. He was barely sober and furious. He grabbed me up, and we ran. I can't remember all the places we went, surviving on whatever coins Papa made by cheating people."

"That must have been a difficult life for a small child."

"Yeah, well, it got worse." His forced smile was getting more and more difficult to maintain. "When I was around seven, eight, - I'm not sure - he sold me to three spinster sisters. That's right, Dr. Hopper. Sold me. Said it was for my own good, but it was really because he didn't want the responsibility of taking care of me." A real smile of affection softened his lips. "Ironically, he was actually right about that. Those ladies were good to me. They treated me as if I were really their son and taught me a trade." The smile faded. "As for my dear papa, let me just remind you that my father was Pan."

Archie shivered involuntarily at the name, and Rumplestiltskin nodded. "To make a long and horrible story short - " - he took a deep breath - " - My first wife Milah abandoned me just like my mother did. She left me and Bae to run away with that damned pirate." He held up three fingers. "Bae left me next." He held up a fourth finger. "That was my own fault. I am entirely to blame, and I'll admit it." Now he held up all five fingers of his right hand. "The next one to abandon me was Cora. I truly loved her, and I thought she loved me too. But on the night we were to run away together, she ripped her own heart out rather than allow it to love me."

Archie swallowed hard. "That's a terrible burden to carry. I'd like to try to help you lighten that load if you'd allow it."

Rumplestiltskin gave him a long, assessing look. "Maybe," he allowed, "but I don't know if I can accept another abandonment on top of all the others." He sighed and lowered his hand. "I just so tired, doctor, so damned tired of it all."

"That's quite understandable," Archie told him. "Maybe we could meet each Monday morning at nine? Try to talk through some of your past trauma?"

"Aye, I'll try," he answered. "After all, what more do I have to lose?"

Archie stood. "Mr. Gold, I know you probably won't believe this right now, but there are people in this town who love and care for you. Belle, to name one. Should I send her in?"

His brown eyes betrayed him as they filled with tears. "Yes," he whispered. "Just, just give me a few minutes to collect myself, yeah?"

"Of course." Archie walked to the door and closed it behind him.


	5. Chapter 5

Once Upon a Time does not belong to me. This has not been beta-read, and I really need a reviewer. Any critiques or comments are welcomed!

CHAPTER 5

Belle latched onto Archie's elbow as soon as he closed the door. "Archie!" she exclaimed. "How is he? What happened? When can I see him?"

"Why don't you go keep him company, Henry? And, Ms. Mills, if you don't mind, could you check his magical potential? I don't think we were able to determine his abilities earlier," Archie asked with a smile.

He took Belle by the arm and led her down the hall into a nearby chapel. "Mrs. Gold, please have a seat."

Belle blanched and nearly collapsed onto a bench. "What's wrong, Archie?" she whispered. "And, please, call me Belle. It makes me nervous when you call me Mrs. Gold."

Dr. Hopper sat beside her. "All right, Belle." He managed a smile. "It's my professional opinion that he'll recover - eventually - but it's going to take time."

She closed her eyes and muttered a tiny prayer of thanksgiving.

"His memory seems to be coming back," Archie continued. "However, he has many years of memories. He's how old? Over three hundred years?" He cocked his head and pushed his glasses back up this nose. "That's an awful lot of memories to contend with, and from what I can tell, there are times when his memories come back out of sequence."

"Exactly," Belle agreed. "He can remember some people and events, but he has to re-remember others." She held her head erect and squared her shoulders, folding her soft hands in her lap. "I'll be there for him, Archie."

Archie glanced down and wet his lips. When he looked up and began to speak, his tone was frighteningly grim. "Belle, the biggest challenge he's facing now is his fear of abandonment." He held out his hands to stop her protest. "No, I can't go into details. That's confidential. Suffice it to say, that he's lost everyone he has ever loved. It's left some very deep scars on his soul."

Belle sat quietly for a moment. She knew what Archie was telling her. "I'm one of those scars, aren't I?" Archie didn't answer her. She didn't expect him to do so. "Can I repair the damage I've done?"

"I sincerely hope so, Belle," Archie stated. "He's going to need all the help he can get when he learns about Neal."

When she entered his room, Regina and Dr. Whale were talking quietly while Henry was doing his best to explain how television worked. Belle couldn't help but smile at the two brown heads (one streaked with silver) bent together over the remote control.

Rumplestiltskin laughed aloud as he pressed the mute button. "Oh, I like this feature very much, Henry. I wish I had the magical power to mute certain people."

Henry laughed too. "I know what you mean, Grandpa Gold."

Belle moved towards Regina and Whale. "Speaking of magic," she whispered hesitantly, "does he still have his?"

"No, although -," Regina began.

"I may have lost my magic," Rumplestiltskin called out, interrupting the former queen, "but I haven't lost my hearing, dearie." He handed the remote to Henry and faced the trio of adults, a sour expression on his face. "And I don't like to be talked about."

Whale ducked his head, muttered some quick farewells, and quickly fled. Regina stepped towards the bed. "No, you no longer possess your dark magic," she told him matter-of-factly.

"That could be a blessing, Rumple," Belle added as she moved to the far side of his bed.

He only gave Belle a cool look before turning back to Regina. "Do you think I could learn magic again?"

"I don't know, and I don't know if I'd be willing to teach you," she told him bluntly.

Whatever reply he wanted to make was lost when Henry spoke up. "Grandpa Gold, sometimes you weren't very nice when you used your magic."

"You were an ass!" Regina told him point blank.

"Oh, come on," Belle retorted, "what about all the times Rumple's magic saved us? Have you forgotten how he defeated Pan? Or Zelena?"

Rumplestiltskin's sour glare turned to amused astonishment. "Are you defending me and my magic?"

Belle turned quickly to him. "There have been times when your magic saved us, but there have been just as many times when you've misused your power to hurt people."

"Well, as much as I'd like to stay and watch what looks like the beginning of one grand domestic quarrel, I think we'll be leaving," Regina said overly loudly. "Come along, Henry, you've got school tomorrow."

Henry handed the remote control back to Rumplestiltskin. "I'll see you tomorrow after school, Grandpa Gold," he told the older man. "I promise."

Rumplestiltskin nodded. "All right, Henry, I'll see you tomorrow after your schooling is over for the day." He smiled at the boy. "Maybe then you can explain to me why you're staying with Cora's girl."

It hadn't taken Rumplestiltskin long find a way to annoy the former evil queen. It only took him once to notice that she hated being called by her mother's name, and he took a delight in irritating her. Henry muffled a laugh in his fist, pretending to cough. He grinned cheekily back, his brown eyes twinkling madly like his grandfather's. "Sure, and you can help me with my math."

"It's a deal!" Rumplestiltskin shook hands with the young man.

There was a lingering silence following the soft snick of the door shutting. Belle took a deep breath. "I suppose we need to talk," Belle told him.

"Aye," he agreed, "I suppose we do."

Another awkward silence rang throughout the room. Finally, she sat on the edge of his bed. "Budge over," she ordered him.

Rumplestiltskin did as she commanded, though he glanced away to hide his smile. It was becoming more and more evident to him just why he fell in love with this petite young woman.

"Do you remember anything about how we met?"

"No."

"Well, do you remember how we fell in love?"

"No."

She sighed and bit her lip. He wasn't going to make this easy for her. "Do you remember our last big fight?"

"When you threw me out of town? Without giving me a chance to explain? Without my magic? Without my wallet? Without even my walking cane?" He cocked an eyebrow. "Aye, that I remember. Quite well, too."

Belle clenched her jaw. She would not lose her temper again. "Then we'll start there." She carefully arranged the folds of her blue skirt to hide the coffee stain, but they both knew she was stalling for time. With a most unladylike snort, she began to speak again. "I was wrong not to let you explain. I was just so hurt and so angry. And, I should have made sure you had your wallet and cane when I banished you, but I wanted to teach you a lesson, Rumple."

Rumplestiltskin nodded, accepting her words. "I never meant to hurt you, Belle. I would never do anything to hurt you. But, Belle, I'm a grown man, and I do not need you - or anyone else - to teach me a lesson."

"It's wrong to use people for your own selfish needs!" she retorted hotly. "That's a life lesson you don't seem to understand."

"That, dearie, is a matter of opinion!" he snapped back.

"No, it's not," she insisted. "You tried to harvest all the magical people and sacrifice them into that damned magical hat! You placed your desires above their lives, and that's just wrong!"

Suddenly, he went very still and quiet. "Why?" he whispered. "Did you ever ask me why I did it? Did you even think to ask why?"

She blinked. "It was because you wanted more power."

He sighed. "The power is important to me. That's true. When you've lived a life of weakness, being bullied and kicked around and used and hurt and betrayed - " he stopped and swallowed - "And then you are given almost absolute power to stand up for the weak and downtrodden, to right wrongs, to stop the bullying and the pain, to redress old wrongs, to exact revenge - "

"And that's where you went wrong, Rumple," she interrupted him.

His face grew cloudy, and when he spoke, he words were like steel. "Belle, if you were forced to choose between saving the lives of those you loved or saving the lives of strangers who abused you, whom would you save?"

"I," Belle floundered, "I supposed I'd have to put my loved ones first."

"Of course, you would," Rumplestiltskin answered soothingly. "That's what I was trying to do by collecting magic in the hat. I was going to use its power to save us - you, Henry, and me - from the Snow Queen's curse. I was trying to protect you."

She lifted a skeptical eyebrow at him. "That might be how it started, Rumplestiltskin, but there's far more to it than that. And, for your information, I am a grown woman, who doesn't need you or anyone else to protect me."

He pressed his lips together tightly. He didn't like having his own words thrust back at him, especially since she was right, and they both knew it. "Oh, all right!" he huffed angrily. "There is more to it." He folded his arms across his chest.

"When the Gauntlet led me to the real dagger - " Anger flashed in her blue eyes. "Rumple, I knew you'd lied to me. It felt like a sledgehammer to my chest! But what hurt more was knowing you'd chosen your power over me. It was like the magic was another woman, and you were cheating," she admitted. "There's no way I can ever compete with that, and I don't think I want to try. It's hurts too much."

"Oh, Belle." Slowly he unfolded his arms and reached out to take her hand. "I did lie about the dagger, but the Gauntlet - " He paused and took a deep breath. "You misunderstood what it was telling you."

"The Gauntlet leads to the thing that a person loves most, his greatest weakness," she answered angrily. "You told me that yourself, Rumple. I did not misunderstand."

"The Gauntlet leads to a person's great weakness, which is _usually_ the thing he loves most," he agreed with a nod, "but those things are not always the same."

Belle frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The dagger is my greatest weakness because I can be controlled by whoever possesses it," he explained patiently. "But, you, Belle - you are what I love most."

"I want to believe that, Rumple." Belle closed her crystal blue eyes, and tears slid down her face. "I want so much to believe that."

"It's true. I can't promise that I'll never lie to you again, but I promise that I'll try to do better." Rumplestiltskin shifted on the bed, pulling her closer. "Belle, after Zelena kept me caged and forced me to -" He broke off and gave her a brave little smile. "well, to do a lot of things, I became obsessed with the fear that someone could control me like that again, that someone could use me!"

Belle squeezed his hand gently. "I remember the nights you couldn't sleep because of the nightmares."

He glanced down for a quick moment. "Aye, well, I found a way to free myself from the dagger's control. It was like a dream come true for me. I could keep my power and free myself of the dagger."

Belle's eyes widened in astonishment. "You mean, you discovered a way to keep your power without being vulnerable to the dagger?"

"Yes," he said enthusiastically, "but I needed a tremendous amount of power, which is why I needed to collect magical folk. With enough magic, the hat could break the dagger's hold. Then, I could whisk you, Henry, and me away from here. We could travel this world. We could control it."

Her growing smile fell flat with his last words. "There," she pointed out, "there is where your good intentions led you down the wrong path. Why did you ever think you needed to conquer this world?" She smiled sadly at him. "I never wanted to rule in the Enchanted Forest, and I don't want to be a queen here. I only want to be your wife."

"The wife of the powerful Dark One."

"No!" she exclaimed in frustration. "Can't I make you see?" she took his hands and held them tightly. "Rumple, if I wanted power, I would have married Gaston. He was ambitious. If I wanted money, I would have had my father offer me to King Midas when his queen died." She released one hand to reach up and cupped his cheek. "I only ever wanted True Love."

Tears shimmered in his warm, brown eyes. "Oh, Belle, you are far too good for me." He leaned into her caress. "I do love you. You deserve so much more than just me."

"I only want you, Rumple," she told him with a smile.

"I'll try to control the lust for power, Belle, but it will be hard," he told her. "I need the power, you see, to protect myself and - "

"No one has ever truly been there for you," she told him. "No one has protected you, so you had to rely solely on yourself. That's why you think you need the power, to keep safe. But you don't need that power anymore."

"I'd like to believe that, Belle," he whispered. "I'd like to believe that someone loves me that much."

"I do, Rumple. And, I'll try to be more understanding of your need for the feeling of emotional safety that power gives you."

He laughed softly the kissed her soundly.


	6. Chapter 6

Once Upon a Time does not belong to me. This has not been beta-read, and I really need a reviewer. Any critiques or comments are welcomed!

Anon Belle Fan : Thank you! I really need a beta-reader for plot details. Would you be willing to help out?

CHAPTER 6

Belle returned to the hospital around nine the next morning. Humming a happy tune, she smiled brightly as she stepped into the room. "Good morning, Rumple," she called cheerfully. "I spoke with Dr. Whale earlier, and I'm hoping he'll allow you to come home today."

She was met with a stormy-eyed, grim-mouthed Rumplestiltskin. He spoke not a word, just glared at her. "Rumple?" she asked softly. "What's wrong?"

His dark brown eyes slowly raked her up and down as he folded his arms across his chest. "Will Scarlet," he snapped.

Belle blushed deeply and dropped her head. She stood there a moment, gathering her thoughts. Biting her lip, she lifted her head and walked slowly to the bed. "Yes," she spoke softly. It was time to tackle this thorny problem.

"You cheated on me!" he snapped. "Just like Milah, just like Cora!" His chest heaved and his face darkened.

"I thought-" She swallowed and pushed down her anxiety. "- I thought we discussed this when you collapsed back at the shop." Unsuccessfully, she tried to take his hand. "Remember?"

Rumplestiltskin's forehead furrowed in confusion, but he refused to unfold his arms. "I remember asking about Will, telling you that he was more worthy of your heart than I - " His voice trailed off.

Belle took the chance to move even closer. Gingerly, she sat on the edge of his bed. "Yes," she said softly, "and I told you that I never loved Will. He was only a friend, someone to spend time with." Again, she reached for his hand. This time, he unfolded his arms and allowed her to hold his hands in hers. "I told you that you were - and are - the only man I'll ever love."

He looked at her carefully. Her blue eyes shone with sincerity. "You liked him," he told her.

"Yes," she admitted, "I do like Will. He was a friend to me when I was at my lowest point. He was kind and considerate." She shifted their hands until their fingers were laced together. "He helped me."

Rumplestiltskin snorted rudely, but he did not let go of her hands. "I'll bet he _helped_ himself, too." He twisted their intertwined hands until both their wedding bands touched. "Did you hold his hands like this, Belle?" he asked softly. "Did you link your hand in his? The hand that wears my ring?" He watched her face carefully. "Or did you take off my ring when you held his hand?"

Her red mouth fell into a perfect O. "I, I, I," she stammered. He had caught her off-guard. "All right, Rumple, I did remove my wedding band," she replied. Her soft, winsome tone was now blunt, more matter-of-fact. She huffed to herself. Why had she ever thought this would be so easy? "I didn't think you would ever be able to come back, so I took off my rings. And, to answer your question, yes, I did hold Will's hand."

Belle's husband tried to pull back, to lean against the upright bed, but she wouldn't let him. "No, Rumple, listen," she insisted, "I didn't think you could ever come back - "

"That was your fault," he blurted out. "You banished me!" He took an angry breath. "Were you cheating with Scarlet our entire marriage? Was that your plan? Yours and his? The beautiful young woman marries the rich old man, then she and her young lover get rid of him, so they can be together and enjoy this money? You know I signed over half of everything I owned to you when we married."

"Rumple!" she shouted. Belle's face was blotched red with anger. "You should know better! I have loved you always! You and only you!"

"Scarlet, then," he said as he cocked his head to the left, "he's just a poor fool like me." He held her hand up until the diamond in her engagement ring caught a shaft of sunlight. A prism of rainbow colors, fierce and alive, sparkled for a moment in the air between them. Then he lowered her hand and gave her a cool, speculative stare. "You toyed with his emotions, too, didn't you?"

"I did not toy with his emotions!" Belle defended herself in an angry whisper.

"So, you lied to me?" he questioned. "You told me he meant nothing to you?"

"He's only a friend!"

"Then, tell me, my young ex-wife," he asked deliberately as a slow grin spread over his mouth, "do you make a habit of kissing all of your friends on the mouth?"

Emotions - perplexity, hurt, anger, regret, hopelessness - chased around her face. "Rumple," she started, but he interrupted her again.

"So, what now that you're a rich, stunning, young divorcee?" he asked as he gave a humorless chuckle. "You've done with Scarlet? Who's next on the list?" He loosened their hands and again, folded his arms across his chest. "Dr. Whale, perhaps? Use you feminine wiles on the good doctor, and you could persuade him to slip a little something in my IV drip. Do away with me completely. Then you'd be sole owner of all I have."

Belle drew back her arm and slapped him soundly across the face. The imprint of her hand colored his unshaven face. "How dare you?" she whispered furiously. Tears of anger flooded her bright eyes and eased out of the corners. "You go too far, Rumple!" She was trembling with barely contained rage. "I may have unwittingly played with Will's emotions," she conceded. "I did kiss him. Once. That was all. And I made it clear and plain to him that I would never, _never_ get over you." She inhaled deeply and clenched her jaw. "I don't give a _damn_ about your money or your power or anything else!"

She stood abruptly from the bed and stormed to the door of the room. Halting with the door handle in her hands, she turned to face him one last time. "I'm going to get a breath of fresh air," she informed him. Her voice was firm and controlled. "While I'm gone, you need to make a decision. I've admitted my faults and said I was sorry. You have to decide whether or not you can forgive me."

Belle opened the door, but she still paused in the doorway. "I've forgiven you and only want to be with you because I love you, Rumple, but - " She took a long, shaky breath. "- but, I - we - need to be able to trust one another again."

"Good morning," Dr. Whale chirped happily as he pushed open the door. He reached around Belle to retrieve the chart on the door, but he paused for an overly long moment to eye Belle up and down. "My, my, but you're looking quite well this morning, Mrs. Gold." Whale whistled low and meaningfully. He moved into the room past the glaring young woman and strode over to his patient. "I'm hoping Mr. Gold is looking half so fine as his young wife," he quipped as he flipped open the patient's chart, "and if he is, then maybe he can go home today."

"I'll be back around noon, Rumple," Belle said. Then she quietly left the room.

Dr. Whale paused just outside Mr. Gold's door. He leaned against the wall next to the closed door, took his handkerchief from his pocket, and with shaky hands mopped the sweat from his brow. Hearing the distinctive clicking of high-heeled shoes, Dr. Whale instinctively straightened himself up and plastered on his most charming smile. Just before he wheeled around with a smart on-liner on his tongue, he remembered the old man in the nearby room and immediately dropped all pretenses. According to Gold, the good doctor had better mend his ways, and fast, where women were concerned. Especially when the old man was around. And especially when the old man's wife was around.

The clicking stopped beside him. "Good morning, Dr. Whale," Mayor Regina Mills said briskly. "Is Gold awake?"

Whale sighed in relief and managed a quick smile. "He's awake," the doctor told her. He dropped the chart into the slot on the door and tucked his handkerchief into his pocket. "He's not in a very pleasant mood."

Regina's red lips curved upward. "Bit you already, has he?"

"Oh, yes," he responded shortly. "Magic or no magic, that old man is still scary as hell!"

"Well," Regina said slowly, "I think I can handle one little, old man." She stepped past him into the room

"You're looking rather sour, Gold," she told him. She stalked towards the bed and plopped her red, crocodile Louis Viutton purse on the bedside table.

He glared at her most evilly. "What do you want, Cora?" He smiled inwardly, finding the quickest way to infuriate her.

The smile melted from her lips for a moment. Then she caught herself. "Oh, no, Gold," she told him with a chilly smile and falsely cheery manner, "you aren't going to wind me up like you did the doctor." She sank elegantly into the chair by his bed and gracefully crossed her long legs. "What did you say to the poor fellow? He was positively rattling with fear."

He returned her smile. "I just suggested he might want to watch the way the treats women in general." He shrugged, and the smile grew nearly reptilian. "And my wife in particular."

"Ah," Regina acknowledge with a nod. "Well, I'll have to agree that it's about time someone set that womanizing jerk to rights. Well, done, Gold."

"Yes, well, thank you, but surely you didn't come here to commend me on my gentlemanly manners." He raised his left eyebrow. "What do you want from me, Regina?"

"It's not what I want from you," she retorted, "but what you want from me - magic lessons."

His right eyebrow joined the left. "And what made you change your mind? Yesterday, you refused to teach me. Called me an 'ass'."

Regina nodded. "I did, but we're going to need all the strength we can get to help Emma." Her voice was strong, determined, and full of sincerity. "I'll teach you, but you'll have to swear an oath to help Emma."

"I don't know this Emma."

"She's your grandson's mother."

"So, I've heard," he answered quickly, "but there's more to it than that. If you want my help - you or that damned pirate - you're going to have to tell me the whole story."

Regina's voice dropped. "You mean you still don't remember?"

"No, I still don't remember," he mimicked her. Then he burst out angrily, "Where's Bae? Why's Henry living with you of all people? Who the hell is this Emma?" Rumplestiltskin tilted his head. "And where is that vicious hag you call a mother for that matter?"

"That vicious hag is dead," Regina returned.

"What?" Rumplestiltskin's face grew white. "Cora? Dead?"

"Oh, don't tell me you're sad now?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Have you no feeling whatsoever for the woman who bore you? You really are rather heartless, aren't you, girl?"

"Now, just a minute, Gold," Regina bolted to her feet. "I don't have to explain myself to you!"

"No, no, you don't, girl," he told her gently. "Cora got what she deserved. I've no doubt about that. And, I'm sorry for judging you." He went rigid suddenly, his body shaking with fine tremors. Blinking rapidly, he clenched his jaw until the waves of trembling ceased. "And, I'm sorry - " He reached for her hand and pulled her close. " - so very, very sorry for using you to cast that horrible curse."

Regina stood stock still in shock. The old man was remembering, and he was actually apologizing. "I made my own choice with that one, Gold."

He leaned forward and kissed her hands. "I played you, girl," he told her tearfully. "I manipulated you, and I'm sorry. Please, please, can you ever forgive me?" He leaned forward again and kissed her hands.

Regina heaved a sigh, refusing to cry. She had never seen him so vulnerable. Her chest hurt, knowing what it must have taken for this man to humble himself and beg her forgiveness. This old man, who had been emotionally battered by nearly everyone in his long, long life, was seeking her pardon; this old man, who, if her mother been an honest woman, could have been her father.

The former Evil Queen's heart melted. Leaning forward, she whispered, "I forgive you, Rumplestiltskin." Then, she kissed him on the forehead.

"Oh!" Belle cried out in shock as she stood framed in the doorway.


	7. Chapter 7

Once Upon a Time does not belong to me. This has not been beta-read, and I really need a reviewer. Any critiques or comments are welcomed!

CHAPTER 7

Belle smiled a little unsteadily, but she pressed into the room. "I brought lunch," she said, holding aloft a take-out carrier from Granny's.

Regina calmly reached for her purse, using it as an excuse to turn away from Belle and compose her face. Then she handed Gold a box of tissue. "Has Whale released him?" she asked Belle as she turned around.

"Um, not yet, but I feel sure he will in the morning if not this afternoon," Belle replied as she set the food on the table. She wheeled it over her husband, pretending to be unconcerned. "Are you bringing Henry over after school?"

Regina opened her purse and pulled out her car keys. "Yes," she told them both. She smiled at Gold and patted his hand. "I'll bring Henry to see you around 3:30, okay?"

Rumplestiltskin nodded and smiled gratefully. "I'll look forward to it, Regina, thank you." He sniffed appreciatively at the bags that Belle had set down. "That smells very good," he told her, trying to peek inside the bags. "What is it?"

Belle watched Regina leave with a suspicious eye. Then, she turned to see her husband watching her expectantly. Frowning, she continued to set out the food. "I got a couple of Granny's hamburgers. I thought you'd like them better than the hospital food."

Rumplestiltskin didn't wait. He grabbed one of the thick, luscious burgers and bit into it. He moaned with delight and began to chew with relish. Pointing to a helping of fries, Rumplestiltskin mumbled around the food in his mouth, "And those? What are they?"

"French fries," she replied with a grin, "and you have to try them with catsup. Condiments are this world's most powerful magic." She tossed him a packet of catsup.

He paused in mid-bite to stare at her. Blinking rapidly, Rumpletiltskin began chewing more slowly. Finally, when he was able to swallow, he smiled at her. "I remember now," he told her. "I remember many things." He lowered his half-eaten burger to the table. Reaching for the cola, he took a long drink and waited for Belle to set her meal aside.

"I suppose we need to finish our discussion." He straightened his shoulders and leaned back against the bed. "I do love you, Belle, and I want us to be together - "

"Oh, so do I, Rumple," Belle cried. She reached out to clasp his hand.

"But," he continued slowly, "you'll have to understand that I'm not perfect. I'll always feel inadequate without my power, unable to protect us. I'll always crave the power and the control that it gives me."

"I understand now, Rumple," she told him sincerely. "I just need to know that I'm number one in your life."

"And you are!" he exclaimed. He shifted on the bed and reached to hold her other hand as well. "And I've forgiven you, Belle. But, what's more important, I've realized that you aren't perfect." He chuckled at her frown. "No, I've always put you on a pedestal, believing you to be an angel, nearly perfect."

"Oh, Rumple, I've never pretended to be perfect - far from it."

He gazed deeply into her eyes. "But in my eyes, you were, Belle. That's why it was so hard to accept that you truly loved me for me. That's why I could never believe you'd love me without my power."

"Thank you for forgiving me," she told him softly. Demurely she lowered her eyes.

"Belle -" He hesitated.

"What is it, Rumple?" She looked up at him and released his hands in order to climb onto the bed to sit nearer.

"You aren't perfect, you know. You can't judge me by your standards of what is noble or kind." He held out his hands, gripping her shoulders. "Before you ask, let me explain. Just like with the misunderstanding about the Gauntlet. You were my self-appointed judge, jury, and executioner without giving me a chance to explain or defend myself."

Seeing the angry red creeping up her neck, he rushed ahead, his words pouring forth. "I was wrong to forcibly abduct those people, and I was wrong to attempt to kill Hook." He took a deep breath. "But if you had taken a moment, just one small moment, to see things from my perspective. Belle, you would have understood how terrified I was that someone would use the dagger to reduce me to a slave again. I found a way to break free of it, and if that meant I had to sacrifice others, well, then, that's what I felt I had to do -"

"It was wrong," she insisted.

"Seeing it from your perspective, I'd agree," he concurred. "But, Belle, at the time you exiled me from town, you didn't know that I had trapped those people. You were simply pissed because you thought I valued the dagger more than you."

Her face paled as she realized the truth of his words.

He released her shoulders and nodded. "Aye, you're seeing it now. Belle, if you'd truly known about the magical people in the hat and were honestly concerned about my using them, you would have acted differently. Oh, you would still have stopped me from killing Hook, but you would have forced me to release those I had trapped. Then you would have put me on a very short husband leash."

Tears puddled up in her clear blue eyes and streamed down her face. She pressed her hands against her cheeks in shocked acknowledgement of the truth of his words. "I was so hurt, so angry, that I only wanted to hurt you back. So I intended to take from you the things I thought you loved the most - your power and your money." Belle's hands slid up to cover her eyes as she wept bitter tears.

"Revenge tastes very sweet when you first bite into it," he told her softly, "but it quickly becomes bitter."

At a four o'clock, the door to Rumplestiltskin's room opened, and Henry came in smiling. He pulled off his book bag and swung it up onto the table. "Hi, Grandpa Gold," he said with a grin. His brown eyes danced like sunlight sparkling on tea. "Where's Belle? I hope you're ready to help me with my math."

"Of course, I am Henry, lad," Rumplestiltskin replied. "Belle went with Dr. Whale to complete the paperwork for my release. Where's Regina?"

"Oh, she just dropped me off." Henry dug through his bag, pulling out a large text book and a notebook. He set them on the table along with a pencil and dropped the bag onto the floor. With his foot, he shoved the bag under the bed and began flipping open the book. "Grandma Snow is going to pick me up around 5:00 to take me home."

A worry furrow began to creep across Rumplestiltskin's forehead. "If Grandma Snow is picking you up at 5:00, we'd best begin with the math," he stated, baiting the boy for more information.

"Yeah, I need help with this section. I missed it one like it on the test, but Mr. Phillips said that I can get extra points if I complete this section correctly." Henry twisted the book around for his grandfather and flipped open the notebook. He tapped one particular problem with his pencil. "This is the one I missed."

Rumplestiltskin read the question. He paused and glanced back up at Henry. Then he read it aloud. " 'Cindy bakes a cake 8 inches in diameter. If one container of icing covers 36 square inches, will she have enough icing?' Did I read this correctly?"

'Uh, huh." Henry leaned over and pointed with the eraser. "I think I'm supposed to find the diameter - "

"What the hell kind of question is this?" Rumplestiltskin exploded. "If you were asked to find the diameter of a circle measuring 8 inches across, you could solve it easily, but this, this - " He glared at the offending question. If he'd still had his powers, the text would have gone up in flames. " - this is stupid! Will this be a single layer cake? Most cakes have more than one layer, you know. And certainly this Cindy would need to frost between the layers. And what of the sides? Hey?" He shook the book as if to choke it. "Wouldn't a proper baker frost the sides as well?" He slammed the book down in disgust. "Not to mention how thick would you want the icing to be?"

Henry began to laugh. The anger drained away from the older man as the boy laughed, and soon he was laughing as well. "That was exactly what I asked the teacher!" Henry exclaimed.

"Well, that's that, then." Rumplestiltskin set the book on the table. "Just write 50.24 inches for the answer." He held out his hands when he saw Henry's stricken face. "Don't worry with all that icing on the cake bullshit," he told Henry with a grin. "I'll be released from here later this evening, and I'll come to the school tomorrow to take care of any hassle about the math work."

Henry grinned and quickly wrote down what his grandfather had told him. Then, he packed up his school work, placed it in the book bag, and shoved it under the bed. "Thanks, Grandpa Gold."

Rumplestiltskin waited patiently while Henry arranged his school bag, but once the boy's things were safely stowed out of the way, the called out. "Come here, Henry, lad." He held out a hand to the boy. "It's time you explained some things to me."

Wetting his lips nervously, Henry nodded in agreement. He took his grandfather's hand and stepped closer to the bed. 'Yeah," he said quietly as he scrunched up his face. "What do you want to know?"

"How about we start with the reason why my grandson is living with Cora's daughter?"

Again the boy nodded. "Okay, see, - and I don't know all the adult details - but mom, Regina, she adopted me when I was just a baby."

Rumplestiltskin inhaled sharply and gripped the boy's hands. A frown was growing on his features like a thunderstorm. He cleared his throat. "Go on," he commanded roughly.

Henry blinked thoughtfully. "Grandpa," he answered slowly, "please don't get all upset, okay? Just listen. I'll tell you everything I know, then you can ask later."

Puppy dog brown eyes glistening with tears melted the old man's anger. "All right, Henry, I won't interrupt your story," he promised with a slight smile.

Taking a deep breath, Henry launched into an rushed explanation. "My birth mom, Emma Swann, wasn't married when I was born. In fact, she was in jail and didn't know where my dad was. Emma was an orphan and didn't have any family, so she knew she couldn't keep me. That's when she decided to give me up for adoption. She knew whoever adopted me would be able to provide a better, more stable home for me."

He took a deep breath. His grandfather's face remained impassive. Henry knew Grandpa Gold would keep his word and not interrupt. "My mom, Regina, went to you 'cause you're a lawyer, and you set up the adoption."

Shocked to the core, Rumplestiltskin's eyebrows rocketed skyward, and his mouth dropped open. Henry snickered a bit. "Yeah, ironic, isn't it? You arranged the adoption of your own grandson and didn't even know it." Then he sobered, knowing what was coming next. True to his word, the old man didn't interrupt Henry's story, but a single, slow nod bade the boy continue the tale.

Licking his lips, Henry started. "Emma Swann, my birth mom, is the daughter of Snow White - she's a teacher at the school - and Prince Charming - he's a deputy sheriff." No, this wasn't coming out right. Henry started over.

"Everyone in town was under a curse. I guess you'd know about that, huh?" He shot his grandfather an angry glance, but Rumplestiltskin didn't flinch. Henry sighed. "Before the curse hit, Snow White and Prince Charming sent their daughter ahead to the land without magic because she was destined to be the savior and end the curse, which, of course, she did and - "

"Snow White and Charming sent her on ahead?" he muttered in a puzzled tone. A line of puzzlement gouged more deeply between his eyes. "Where did she go?"

"Grandpa Gold," Henry chastised the old man gently.

"Sorry, Henry," he replied with a sincere smile. "Please go on."

Nodding, the stripling youth forged ahead. "I'm not really sure where she was sent. Emma lived in a lot of foster homes all over the country. I know she met my dad in Portland, but they found each other again in New York. I met him for the first time there, too. It was when we found out that he was really your lost son, Baelfire, and we -"

Henry skidded to a verbal stop. His grandfather's eyes had lost focus, and he swayed alarmingly. Quickly, Henry moved forward and pressed the older man back against the bed. "Grandpa Gold! Grandpa Gold!" Henry exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

Rumplestiltskin collapsed backward, his whole body sagging. "Bae," he whispered, "Oh, my boy, my beautiful boy." He closed his eyes and wilted like a funereal rose. His breaths came in small shuddering waves. No tears came this time. It was as if the ocean of his tears was dried up, parched, desolate - only emptiness remained.

"Rumple?" Belle cried out. She had opened the door just in time to see her husband fall back against the bed. "Rumple, are you all right?" Rushing into the room, she grasped him by the shoulders. "Rumple?"

Mary Margaret, carrying Neal on her hip, walked in on Belle's heels. "What?" She hurried to Henry's side and with her free hand spun him around to face her. "Henry," she blurted out. Mary Margaret paused only long enough to dart a quick, worried glance at Belle shaking a seemingly lifeless Gold. "Henry," she repeated with lowered voice, "what's happening?"

Henry squared his shoulder, and although his young man's voice was rough with emotion, he did not cry. "He's remembering, Grandma Snow. He's remembering my dad."

"Oh, honey," Mary Margaret whispered. She pulled Henry into a long, one-handed hug. When she released him, she moved to the side of the bed. "Gold," she called out as she gently moved Belle out of the way. The younger woman was weeping inconsolably and was less than useless. Mary Margaret pushed little Neal into Belle's arms, knowing the baby would force her to reign in the near panic.

"Gold," she reiterated, a bit more forcefully this time. "Gold, open your eyes. You're frightening us."

Slowly, Rumplestiltskin shook his head from side to side. " 's no use," he muttered. "My whole life, it seems - spent trying to find my Bae, my boy." He chuffed out a shuddering breath of despair. He cracked his eyelids, squinting up at the woman now called Mary Margaret Nolan. "All I ever wanted," he confided to her in whisper as thin as an onion-skin, "was to be loved. I had no mother, no father, so I took a wife, had a son." He shook his head hopelessly. "Lost. All is gone. Again, I'm all alone."

"No, you're not, Gold," Mary Margaret insisted, shaking him slightly. "Listen - "

He interrupted her. "Was it too much to ask?" he begged. "To have a little love in my life?"

His pleading brown eyes brought a lump of sympathy to her throat, but helpless capitulation wasn't what this man needed. "Now, you sit up and listen to me right now," she ordered him loudly in her best teacher's voice. "Sit up, open your eyes, and stop feeling sorry for yourself!" She pulled him forward and turned his head until he could see Belle, holding Neal, and Henry standing behind her. "You have a wife and a grandson who loves you."

Gold's eyes widened in surprise as he surveyed the loving tableau before him. Henry stood resolute, determined to act the part of the man he was becoming. Belle, tears rolling down her cheeks, faced him with utter adoration.

She moved towards the bed. "Oh, Rumple, we can't bring Bae back, but, you and I, we can be a family."

"Henry and I'll just be going," Mary Margaret spoke softly. "You two can have some time alone." She reached for the baby. "I'll take Neal."

As Belle moved to hand the baby back, Gold spoke quickly. "Neal? That's right! You named him for my boy. May I?" He gestured to the baby. "May I hold him? It's been a very long time since I held a child, but I'm sure I can remember."

"Of course," Mary Margaret agreed with a smile.

Belle settled the child into her husband's arms. A whole host of promises were alight in her vivid blue eyes, and she nodded, hinting at future possibilities.

Profound tears of joy filled his eyes as he held the little boy in his arms. When Neal cooed in delight and grabbed his nose, Gold laughed aloud. Slowly, his eyes traveled around the members of his small family. "I think," he told them, "no, I know that everything will be well with us. For the first time ever, my life is awake with the prospect of happiness."


End file.
